New generation learns skills
Older players enjoy helping younger groups at hockey camp
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
RANKIN INLET/KIVALLIQ
The second annual season opener hockey camp wrapped up this past Friday with a day of games, pizza parties and good times.
Instructor Keenan Eetuk, left, prepares to let the next group race across the gym during office training at the season opener hockey camp to launch minor hockey in Rankin Inlet this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
The camp ran Oct. 19 to 23 and featured both on-ice and off-ice instruction for initiation, novice, atom, peewee, female, bantam and midget players.
The camp also featured personal growth sessions for all age groups.
The season opener was attended by more than 100 players from Rankin Inlet and other Kivalliq communities.
One reason behind the camp's success is the mentoring approach of having local players instructing players below their age group.
Sidney Nichol, 17, and Keenan Eetuk, 17, both took part in their second camp as instructors.
Nichol, a third-year midget player, said he spent a lot of time on the ice with the different groups.
He said he also helped with a few off-ice and classroom sessions.
"I pretty much was involved with it all during the week," said Nichol.
"We had a couple of fights but that's going to happen during a hockey camp.
"Overall, it went very well."
Nichol said the players seem to enjoy every aspect of the camp but he adds the most excitement was almost always on the ice.
He said the camp is a great way for players to get back on the ice, make some new friends and get back into hockey mode.
"It really helps the kids in a new age group to start the season like this. It starts getting them used to a higher level of play, helps them get comfortable with new teammates and stuff like that, and it's the bantams first year of bodychecking, so they get an idea of what to expect.
"We had a skating session in the morning and puck-handling in the afternoon, and the players seemed to work harder during the puck-handling sessions."
Eetuk, who aged out of midget, said he didn't hesitate when organizer David Clark first asked him to get involved with the camp.
He said he enjoys coaching the younger kids.
"I take part in the different sessions and I enjoy them all," said Eetuk.
"The dryland training is the most challenging when it comes to keeping the kids together, motivated and quiet enough to be able to listen to what's going on. I thought the groups I was with on the ice worked the hardest to improve their shooting, especially their wrist shots and one-timers."
Eetuk said you have to stay alert when dealing with so many young people at once.
He said many of the students stay with the program, but you have to watch some others.
"Some of them get restless, or whatever, or just start playing around, so you have to keep an eye on them.
"My favourite part of the camp is the puck sessions.
"The kids like to work on their dangling and improving their moves.
"We had one-on-one battles during the bantam-midget sessions, and that helps the new bantams get ready for their first year of bodychecking."
